


Thankful for Thankless Work

by PinkAfroPuffs



Series: Fate/Beautiful Forest Hobo [2]
Category: Fate/EXTRA, Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M, Have you told your archer you love him today?, Knights in Shining Armor (tm), Mutual Pining, or live vicariously through the idea of your relationship with each other, robin hood is the kind of dumb bitch to either pawn you off on someone he thinks is better, thats my hot take, you should
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 03:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20037163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkAfroPuffs/pseuds/PinkAfroPuffs
Summary: The ability to hope is not defined by youth, just as strength is not defined by pure might.





	Thankful for Thankless Work

Ifumi couldn’t reach the top shelf. 

There was a book she wanted up there, and after successfully gathering the rest of the research materials she needed- all of which were on the desk behind her- it felt like a very deliberate “fuck you” from the universe. She took a deep breath and blew it out of her mouth. She _ could _ go find a Servant tall enough, or maybe someone strong enough to boost her, but…

Another sigh. That would take too much time. She was almost finished with her studies for the day, and going to bother someone would be a hassle. 

The room was built much like a library, wide enough to carry more than enough books on magecraft and even a few spells; still, nothing that can really be considered light reading is present, and she thinks that a bit pretentious. She missed libraries with fairy stories in them and silly romances that make her wish for love. At most, she can only find the various myths and legends her own Heroic Spirits are from- which is good, because that’s what she wants- but they hardly seem like fairy stories with them here with her.

After deliberating for a hot second, she wiggles the desk some to check if it’s simply sturdy or just bolted to the floor. It turned out to be the former, so she pushed it up to the bookshelf she was a great deal too short for, and climbed up. The height didn’t cut it; after reaching up and swiping with no avail, she took a deep breath, glanced behind her to measure the distance she could fall (minimal) and jumped.

Her right hand braced one of the horizontal shelves- the one the book happened to be on- and, seeing that it was also sturdy enough to cling to, she pushed close to the wall and reached for the book with her left hand. 

“Aha!” She cried aloud, but in her moment of triumph, she realized suddenly that she didn’t have the upper body strength to be making those sorts of movements _ and _ carry something. And she lost her balance.

With a loud _ EEK _, she slipped, tossing the book and hoping to brace her neck just before she hit the ground. 

She _ did _ hit something, but it wasn’t so hard that she thought it was the ground. It made a sound, too, and some of the softness around it smelled like cigarettes and dirt. “Careful, there, Master. Don’t wanna end the world over some books.”

For a moment, her brain races to catch up to her. Then, dumbly she replied, “They already did that.” After a few seconds, she opens her eyes and sees how close her feet are to the ground before she glances back at the Servant who caught her. “Robin! You need to take a shower.”

“That’s the thanks I get?” A little laugh puffs past her ear. The little thump against her chest made her quickly cover her own mouth, in order to not say anything stupid.

“I...thanks,” she amended. “Sorry.” Then she leaned forward carefully, as though to signal him to release her. He complied. “How did you-” No, it wouldn’t be right to chide him about using his cloak to sneak up on her after this. She leaned back against the desk for a couple of seconds before it suddenly hit her, “Ah! The book!” 

Robin Hood crossed his arms a little at her, but she largely ignores him. This is important, after all, and even if he teases her, she won’t care. Surprisingly, he asks, “What’s it look like?”

“It’s a big purple book with gold inscriptions on it,” she replied. Oh, did she throw it right or left? Or up? Or down????

“Title?”

“‘Avenger Class Servants, volume 4.” Hm. Now that she was looking at the state of the place, she’d taken out more books than she’d thought. There were stacks and stacks of them off to the side, not just on the desk.

“Awful lotta books out here, Master.” His voice sounds far away from where she’s standing. 

“Yeah, I’m doing some research,” she admitted, one hand reaching up to pull on one of her curls and then against her scalp. It makes her realize she needs a good, thorough wash- which made her wonder when she got more than a very quick shampoo and leave-in conditioner through it. 

After a minute or two of looking, something gently taps her on the head, and Robin Hood makes a pleased sound that reminds her of a whistle. “Look what I found.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” she sighed, reaching up to take it from him.

Notably he hasn’t asked what her research is for yet, so she waits for it. But, as he tends to do, he doesn’t pry. 

Unsatisfied with this, Ifumi says, “Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing research for?”

“Mm...nope.” He replies easily. “Not my business.”

“What if it has something to do with you?” She asks suspiciously. “Would you want to know then?”

Without missing a beat, he answers, “Nope. I imagine you’ll tell me whenever you want, Master.”

She scrunches up her face at him. It would be easier for him to just ask, but she’s begun to understand him better recently; even if he might play at being unaffected by anything, or even a little _ too _ into the Servant role, it’s all a barrier of distance for him. Still, the facade breaks ever so often, like now; he teases and teases and comes whenever she needs him and-

“You’re right. I’m going to tell you whatever I want!” She decides, throwing her hands up. “I don’t know much about mage craft, but I’ve found out I can make you all stronger with certain materials and potions and artifacts. They aren’t super hard to get, but everyone has different specifications. I think it’s interesting. Usually,” she opened the book to the page the index told her Edmond Dantes was on, “it requires something from the legend you’re prominent in, or something that took place during your life.”

Despite telling him what she’d learned out of rebellion, she realizes sharing her findings with someone is more rewarding than blowing off steam. “Look! We’ve already got a bunch of stuff here, and just like the cafeteria is stocked, there are hundreds of items and artifacts in the basement. There are totems for each class of fighter,” she races over to the desk and grabs Rider Class Servants, Vol 2, “and because the amount of magical power needed to resonate has to be equal to the person, sometimes you need more or less. And I can do it without having much by way of mana! Isn’t that great? We can really do this!”

In the middle of her info-dumping, she hadn’t realized his eyes were elsewhere on the desk; an open book where she’d tabbed a page. He nodded, though, as though he was listening to her still (which flattered her for some reason), before he said, “Sure we can,” in a tone that was more cheerfully flippant than she would’ve liked. 

“What?”

His fingers danced across the desk. “...it’s nothing, Master, you know? I’m just not big on this whole...saving the world stuff. Seems a little wide of a net to cast.”

Ifumi’s mouth opens and closes. The feeling in the pit of her stomach is indescribable; she knows why he says such things- he’s cynical by nature, and though she knows next to nothing about his life when he was alive, she doubts it was pleasant. Still, for a young woman relying only on her smarts to get by, hearing such things makes her feel like a car low on gas. “Yeah,” she agrees quickly, but she turns away from him. Her scalp itches. “I’m…”

She doesn’t finish. She just goes to her room, gathers her shower supplies, and locks the door to the bathrooms behind her.

* * *

It’s been a while since she’s gotten the chance to do more with her hair than slick down the front and pull the rest back into a puff. It feels a little funny to her; in her everyday life, before now, doing her hair was a chore she’d put off to the very last minute, but now, giving herself a two-strand-twist feels relaxing. 

There’s a knock on the door to her room just as she’s finishing the right section of her hair, near the front; she deliberated for a moment, considering if it’s alright to be seen like this, then decides it’s the end of the world, and says, “Come in.”

It’s Gawain. She thinks this a welcome change, but strange. Normally Nitocris is around this time of day, and frankly, it occurs to her that she could have asked her to help with her hair. “Evening, Master. I’ve come to check on you.”

She grins at him a little bit. “Oh yeah? Something up?”

He shakes his head, then gestures across the threshold. “May I enter?”

“Sure.”

When he enters, he’s still a bit hesitant. “Are you feeling alright, Master?”

This kind of question throws her for a loop, but she doesn’t stop twisting out her hair. “I’m alright. Why?”

He kneels beside her bed, armor clinking a bit as he shifts into a position that looks comfortable enough to converse with her without actually sitting on her bed. She thinks it’s charming, but it feels as though he’s giving her some sort of special treatment. Not that she minds. “I was just passing by,” he says with an incline of his head. “And according to one of the Emiyas, you haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

Oh, right. She’d been having an extended ‘wash day’ and even prepared a face mask from her clay face wash. She’d packed it in her old suitcase when coming to Chaldea for the “assessment”. “Oh, I was just having some ‘me time’,” she tells him, but suddenly wants to finish her hair faster. She hadn’t meant to worry anyone. “It’s not a big deal. And washing and conditioning my hair takes a little time.” Oh, shoot. Was she going over or under? “....Gawain, can I ask you something?”

“Within reason,” he smiles. “Of course.”

“Do you think we can really save the world?” She’s unsure why she’s asking; maybe something Robin Hood said earlier has gotten to her, or 'something, something past failures' are brewing on her mind. “I mean, it’s a lot of work-”

“I _ know _ we can.” He says firmly. 

“How do you _ know _, Gawain,” she scoffs. 

“Because I believe in you, Master,” he nods, his eyebrows scrunching together in a definite manner. “We’ve fixed three singularities already. I’m sure we’ll continue to do so in the future.”

It sounds so simple, coming from him, but that doesn’t really surprise her. That’s the way of knights around here, after all. “You believe in me…” She finishes the last twist and smoothes down the hair on her head, in case any is sticking up because of its thickness. “That’s...flattering, Gawain.”

He lets out a little bark of a laugh. “I don’t do much flattery, Master. Though I _ am _ told I give inspiring speeches?” He sounds disbelieving, but it doesn't sound too far fetched of him.

She snorts. “That wasn’t much of a speech.”

“If you give me a little more time, I assure you I can write one that will please you,” his eyes crinkle at their corners. It makes her laugh a little more than expected. “I can bring you your dinner, if you’d like? Is there anything you have a taste for?”

“Nah, I’ll come myself. If you want to escort me, though, I won’t say no.” She teases.

Gawain stands and nods at her before offering his arm. “Let’s go.”

* * *

“Archers ready!”

The Saber they’re facing doesn’t know what’s going to hit them. Ifumi is sure this will work, especially since her reader is giving the approximate values on their health. When the time is right, she says it firmly. “Shoot.”

It’s over in an instant. Four arrows pierce either side of the enemy’s chest, and one in its head. She can’t help feeling proud when Roman calls in, “That’s it! That’s the final one! Good job, everyone! We’ve restored another timeline! Retrieve the grail and pack up.”

She sighs in relief and wipes her brow. “Perfect! Good job everyone! We can pull in now to rest up.”

Many of the Servants give her an affirmative reply, a couple breaking off into groups, some of which are headed back to Chaldea in a hurry. They can’t rayshift yet, and any necessary last minute business can be taken care of now, including buying the necessary materials for their various collections or rare snacks they can’t find anywhere else. Robin Hood is last, though. He lingers a little bit too long behind the rest of the group, but she can see him despite his efforts to mingle with the rest of the miniature crowd and touches his arm.

“Good job today,” she almost whispers. She’s a little surprised when he sort of stops and his lip quirks up a bit in one corner.

“All you, Master.”

She finds herself nudging him. “No way! Your poison was the only reason why it was over so quickly!”

He seems a little surprised at this, though only for a second. “...I’m surprised at you, Master. You ask me to use my skills at any chance you get.” 

She quirks a brow at him. “Why not? It makes everything go so smoothly. I always know my clean up crew is capable enough to handle even the last minute stragglers we get.”

He turned away from her then, rubbing his nose the way he does when he’s pleased. She can’t help getting the feeling he’s embarrassed about something, though. “...alright, Master, that’s enough. You don’t need to do all that for someone like me.”

Ifumi squinted at him, suddenly thrown for a loop. At first, she doesn’t know what he means by ‘all that’, and when it occurs to her what he means is _ praise _, she laughs. “Why not! You’re my best Archer!”

As though by some strange miracle, crimson blossoms across his cheeks. His hand comes up to cover his mouth and he attempts to angle his face away from her as some form of damage control, but she’s already seen it. “I said,” he coughs, “it ain’t a big deal, Master. I’m no knight, but I know how to do my job.”

She’s baffled by him, but this isn’t the first time. Why is he comparing himself to a knight? In fact, before she can ask why he said such a thing, her brain moves her mouth to say, “Were you the one who sent Gawain to my room?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, she continues, “You thought I was upset about something, so you sent Gawain to my room to cheer me up. Am I making the right assumption?”

Finally, he speaks. “You know what they say about assuming, Master.”

“You’re already an ass!” She half-shouts. “I know you...I know you don’t really…” She rubs her arm and looks off to the side. “I know aiming high only gives way to disappointment, alright? And you say it a lot,” she sighs. “But I wasn’t…. I wasn’t mad.” Then, “But I’m not just….some naive kid, either, alright? I know things don’t always go the way you want them! I just thought it was cool that I could do something else to help everyone out, even though I’m not good enough to be a mage.”

He shifts a bit. She waits for him to tell her that he’s sorry, but instead he says, “You’ll be disappointed when we fail, Master.”

“When we-” She throws her hands up. “Robin Hood.” Without thinking about it, she grabs a part of his cloak and pulls on it. “You’re supposed to say _ if _.”

He obviously doesn’t agree with this, but she continues anyway. He’ll hear what she has to say and when it’s done, it’s done. “You don’t have to lie and say you believe in me like Gawain does. Just…” How does she say this? What are the proper words to make him understand? “Be more conscious of me. Please.”

“...sorry, Master.” It sounds soft, and he won’t meet her eyes. “I’m just warning you. Wasting resources on me isn’t going to help you.”

“You aren’t a waste.” She tells him. She meant to say it differently, but she won’t take it back now. “You can run away if you want. But until you do, I’m going to take care of you.”

Robin only sighs. “You’re too stubborn, Master.” But his face is still a bit red. “Whatever. I’m hungry now.”

Ifumi purses her lips a little. She wants to call him annoying, but it’s actually cute. “We’ll have some victory dinner when we get back. But I want to get something from town, first.”

“Alright, Master,” he says, and gives her a little wave to leave. “Good luck with-”

She snags his cloak and gives it a little tug. “Nope! You’re coming too. It’s punishment.”

He sighs, but she notices he doesn’t look too displeased. Actually, he seems a bit like he expected this, the shadow of a smile ghosting across his lips. It’s nice, though, that he doesn’t wiggle free of her grip, or even move far enough to make her trip when walking beside him. “Aw, shucks. Guess I’m stuck then.”

She hooks her arm around his, their shoulders touching for the moment before she decides it’s better to lean away to keep her balance. He’s right about hoping for too much, but she has a feeling he won’t disappoint her. Not yet. “You sure are.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so in love with this beautiful forest hobo you guys...it's unreal.


End file.
